Page 179 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
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music in the k ar lovac pr ess in the nineteenth century
simple, but even here the virtuous artist showed how his soul, so to speak, ab-
sorbs everything into itself [...].”28
Reviews of the cultural (and musical) life of the city
within the framework of wider city themes
City topics are significantly represented in Karlovac newspapers. They serve
the role of allowing criticism of the city’s situation on the one hand, but also
of offering correctives or acting as instigators of change on the other. We of-
ten find evocations of past times in which everything worked better, so that
the use of former, better models is encouraged in the current era as well.29
In the articles, questions are posed to the city government but also to the
public as a separate entity.
if we wanted to write about social life in Karlovac and told only the na-
ked truth, we would get into a lot of trouble or would have to give up on
our idea; because within our walls the pleasantly fragrant flower of so-
cial life does not bloom [...] Only in very abbreviated terms will we pres-
ent to our readers the gradual decline of our domestic societies. [...] And
our general social life, what is it like? Harmony and unity, where are
you? Discord and arrogance, where are you not? [...] And that’s how we
reached the point where we have to stop criticizing, where our babbling
is over. We will rather show the way with weak forces which will lead us
from shaky social relations to harmony and brotherhood.30
It is clear from the newspaper articles that musical life is an important
element of the culture of the city of Karlovac. Through the organization of
musical associations, societies and institutions, as well as through individ-
ual events (concerts, parties), the functioning of society and (dis)agreement
28 “pjesmice […] sasvim jednostavne, ali i tu je vrli umjetnik pokazao kako njegova duša,
tako rekući, upija sve u sebe […].” Anon., “Koncert Jaroslava Kociana,” Svjetlo 20, no.
5 (31 January 1904): 3.
29 See for example: Anon., “Družtveni život [Social life],” Svjetlo 6, no. 46 (15 Novem-
ber 1891): 1.
30 “kad bi mi htjeli pisati o družtvenom karlovačkom životu, i o njemu izrekli samo golu
golcatu istinu, zapali bi u nemalu nepriliku ili bi morali odustati od naše namisli;
jer u naših zidinah necvate ugodno mirisni cvietak družtvenog života […] Tek u vrlo
skraćenih redcih predočit ćemo našim čitateljem postepeni nazadak naših domaćih
družtva. […] A obći naš družtveni život, kakav je taj? Slogo i jedinstvo, gdje ste vi?
Neslogo i nadutosti, gdje vas nije? […] I tako smo dospjeli k točki, gdje nam je presta-
ti kritikom, gdje je kraj našeg bugarenja. Mi ćemo radje uz slabe sile naznačiti put,
koj će nas privesti iz razklimanih družtvenih odnošaja k slozi i bratimstvu.” Anon.,
“Družtveni život [Social life],” Svjetlo 1, no. 8 (24 January 1884): 1–2.
179
simple, but even here the virtuous artist showed how his soul, so to speak, ab-
sorbs everything into itself [...].”28
Reviews of the cultural (and musical) life of the city
within the framework of wider city themes
City topics are significantly represented in Karlovac newspapers. They serve
the role of allowing criticism of the city’s situation on the one hand, but also
of offering correctives or acting as instigators of change on the other. We of-
ten find evocations of past times in which everything worked better, so that
the use of former, better models is encouraged in the current era as well.29
In the articles, questions are posed to the city government but also to the
public as a separate entity.
if we wanted to write about social life in Karlovac and told only the na-
ked truth, we would get into a lot of trouble or would have to give up on
our idea; because within our walls the pleasantly fragrant flower of so-
cial life does not bloom [...] Only in very abbreviated terms will we pres-
ent to our readers the gradual decline of our domestic societies. [...] And
our general social life, what is it like? Harmony and unity, where are
you? Discord and arrogance, where are you not? [...] And that’s how we
reached the point where we have to stop criticizing, where our babbling
is over. We will rather show the way with weak forces which will lead us
from shaky social relations to harmony and brotherhood.30
It is clear from the newspaper articles that musical life is an important
element of the culture of the city of Karlovac. Through the organization of
musical associations, societies and institutions, as well as through individ-
ual events (concerts, parties), the functioning of society and (dis)agreement
28 “pjesmice […] sasvim jednostavne, ali i tu je vrli umjetnik pokazao kako njegova duša,
tako rekući, upija sve u sebe […].” Anon., “Koncert Jaroslava Kociana,” Svjetlo 20, no.
5 (31 January 1904): 3.
29 See for example: Anon., “Družtveni život [Social life],” Svjetlo 6, no. 46 (15 Novem-
ber 1891): 1.
30 “kad bi mi htjeli pisati o družtvenom karlovačkom životu, i o njemu izrekli samo golu
golcatu istinu, zapali bi u nemalu nepriliku ili bi morali odustati od naše namisli;
jer u naših zidinah necvate ugodno mirisni cvietak družtvenog života […] Tek u vrlo
skraćenih redcih predočit ćemo našim čitateljem postepeni nazadak naših domaćih
družtva. […] A obći naš družtveni život, kakav je taj? Slogo i jedinstvo, gdje ste vi?
Neslogo i nadutosti, gdje vas nije? […] I tako smo dospjeli k točki, gdje nam je presta-
ti kritikom, gdje je kraj našeg bugarenja. Mi ćemo radje uz slabe sile naznačiti put,
koj će nas privesti iz razklimanih družtvenih odnošaja k slozi i bratimstvu.” Anon.,
“Družtveni život [Social life],” Svjetlo 1, no. 8 (24 January 1884): 1–2.
179
